WEST MIDLANDS, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Innovative Environmental Solutions (IES) - a joint venture between European Metal Recycling (EMR) and Chinook Sciences Ltd - began construction in the UK’s West Midlands, the world’s largest End-Stage-Recycling® plant. The facility will process 350,000 tonnes per year of shredder residue from end of life vehicles and consumer goods by deploying new recycling techniques and Chinook Sciences’ state-of-the-art RODECS® recycling and gasification technology. The net result will be the production of 40 MWh of environmentally sustainable electricity and the recovery of over 190,000 tonnes of additional recycled materials in the form of plastics, glass, clean aggregates and metals.

“We are very pleased to have begun construction of the End-Stage-Recycling® facility at the West Midlands site”

When it comes to end of life vehicles the metals, which account for 75% of the total, can be relatively easily recovered, however the challenge of effectively recovering the non-metallic remainder represents a significant barrier to the UK increasing its recycling rate from around 85% currently to the 95% EU goal it must meet by 2015. IES’ deployment of Chinook Sciences’ RODECS® recycling and gasification technology will be integral to EMR’s ability to achieving this goal whilst at the same time displacing fossil fuel power generation, resulting in an estimated reduction of Carbon Dioxide emissions of 2 million tonnes. In addition to the West Midlands plant, IES has already gained planning permission at additional sites for similar facilities.

“The West Midlands facility is part of EMR’s commitment to the environment as well as providing a sector leading sustainable solution for end of life consumer goods,” said Chris Sheppard, CEO of EMR. He added, “EMR continue to be a company that takes the lead in developing and applying advanced technologies to ensure that we remain at the forefront of the recycling industry.”

“We are very pleased to have begun construction of the End-Stage-Recycling® facility at the West Midlands site,” said Dr. Rifat Chalabi, Chairman & CEO of Chinook Sciences. He added, “The facility will encompass the deployment of four of Chinook Sciences innovative RODECS® systems to ensure all valuables in the feedstock are recovered, including the energy rich organic materials that are ultimately the source of the electricity. The process is clean and efficient and will set a new benchmark for the recycling of end of life vehicles and consumer goods.”

About Chinook Sciences, LLC

Chinook Sciences, LLC, part of the Chinook Sciences group of companies, based in Cranford, New Jersey, was founded in 1998 and is the leading manufacturer and operator of advanced gasification technology. Its RODECS® gasification system, now in its ninth design generation, enjoys an unprecedented eleven-year track record of industrial commercial operation, with an unblemished environmental record. The RODECS® is capable of processing a wide range of organic-based waste streams including E-waste, MSW, and various industrial wastes. The system has been installed in 16 locations throughout the world, where it gasifies organic material without using incineration and fully recovers metals in its patented ACTIVE PYRO® process.

About European Metal Recycling

European Metal Recycling, Ltd. is a global leader in recycling. Based in Warrington, England, the company employs approximately 2,300 people and operates at 100 locations around the world. EMR’s core business is the recycling of metal-rich waste streams arising from end of life vehicles, consumer products, industry and construction resulting in sales of recycled commodities of around 10 million metric tons a year. In addition to the company’s extensive metal recycling operations, it also is rapidly expanding its activities in plastics and other materials. EMR produces more than 100 grades of recycled products, which are taken to market by its extensive road, rail and shipping network.